The Washington critic., 1887-01-26

Iublic notice that he was there to
frank any and all letters the boys had
TO send, and all day he sat there ready
to put his autograph on our cpis,lcs.
You may be sure have tender place
for him In my memory of those times.
lie scrawled his Charles ii. Van
Wyck, NJ. c., across the upper corner
of my envelope. My first war letter 10
the lady who became my wife was sent
on Its way, and ! went down town feel
Ing better. We have that old yellow
envelope framed at home In my library.
My great. grandchildren shall at least
know that Van Wyck had big heart
in him that day."
~
II has been over six years, says the
New York He,uld's Washington CORE.
spondent, since Mr.. Filippo Costiggini,
the Italian artist, resumed the work be.
gun by Brumidi Of painting the frieze
of the Capitol rotunda with historical
scenes. Those completed by Brumidi
were America and History, Landing of
Columbus, Cortez and Montezuma at
Mexican Temple, Pizarro Of Peru, De
Soto's burial in the Mississippi, Rescue
of John Smith by Pocahontas, Landing
of the Pilgrims, and Penn's Treaty.
Brumidi had finished all but the In.
dians when he died. Here Mr. Costig.
gini began, and has In six years com.
pleted the Colonization of New Eng.
land, Battle of Lexington, Declaration
of Independence, Surrender of Corn.
wallis, Ogclthorpe and the Muscogees,
and Stoits entrance into Mexico. The
reason for the delay is that Congress
only allows the fresco painter $40 II
day for his work. MIR. Costiggini re.
moved from New York in July, 1880,
bringing his family to Washington, and
thought that service of the character
expected would be paid for. at least at
reasonable rate. Brumidi had been
employed upon the decorations of the
Capitol for many years. lie had
grown gray In the service of the archi.
tect of the building, and $40 II day for
an old man was considered enough.
Finding that Congress did not think
artistic work of this high order was
worth more than is paid its clerks per
'iNh ioi uoihE WI. NuSllHs
gini found 1t necessary to return to his
other business of decorating church
sanctuaries, painting altar pictures and
frescoing public halls. In the winter
time. when that kind of work cannot
be done, he spends his time in perfect
ing the cartoons which are to be repro
duced in the frieze, and having nearly
completed his outside work, he this
year will resume the task of finishing
the belt. According TO the rate at
which Mr.. Costiggini has been work.
Ing he will just about finish his task on
the centennial of our beginning as a
nation. The work is necessarily slow
and has TO be done with great care.
~.
Says Colonel Ayresin recent letter to
the Kansas City Times: Hon. John I.
Campbell of Santa Rosa, CAL, who has
been appointed United States Consul to
New Zealand, was an old.time citizen
of Kansas City, where he resided and
practiced law for several years. He
was City Attorney in ls;l.s2. Mr..
Campbell Is native Of Pike County,
Mo-, and at one period lived at Yer.
sailles. He removed to California in
1879, became prosecuting attorney and
served in the California Legislature
in the sessions of 1882, 1888
and 1884. During the late war he
was commissioned officer in the Union
Army and served under General Frank
p. Blair as captain in the Thirty.sec.
ond Missouri Infantry. He is an clio.
Mt Il
and refinement. possessing ability that
Will do honor to the Government in any
public capacity he may be seleced to
I'LL -